Chamberlainiana (1881) Cattleya

From Gard. Chron. n.s.: A hybrid between Cattleya guttata Leopoldi and C. Dowiana, the pollen parent. "In habit the plant resembles much more C. Leopoldi than C. Dowiana, but it is much dwarfer. The longest growth which it now blooming is 8 inches high. The plant has the bulbs two-leaved, and the leaves are 6 — 8 inches long by 2— 2 3/4 inches wide. It therefore has the breadth of leaves of the one-leaved Dowiana, but not quite the length. However, as the plant grows it may be quite as long." So far Mr. Harry Veitch. The two flowers reach three-fifths of those of a fine C. Dowiana. The sepals are of rather strong texture, as in C. guttata, and are brownish-purple, at least at the margins. The rhomboid, retuse, very undulate petals are of the finest purple. The lip is cut, as in C. guttata, with triangular blunt side laciniae:, the anterior one with a distinct stalk and a broad abrupt anterior bilobed wavy blade, probably totally of the finest purple. I am very sorry to have seen only two well dried flowers, the beautiful curiosity having only reached my house in my absence. Thus it may have to be described as to colour a second time.